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REGISTRATION EXTENDED TO SEPTEMBER 19--ONLY 20 SPACES LEFT!

We Together is our diocesan biennial family reunion. It's an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and a time to make new ones. Together we learn about, pray about and share what God is up to in our lives, strengthening ourselves as the diocese of islands and inlets for the journey God is calling us to.

We are very excited about this year's conference, which will provide space to consider our role in building the peaceable kingdom imagined and longed for in scripture.

The conference will begin with a wine and cheese reception* followed by a keynote address on Friday evening. On Saturday, two keynote addresses will be complemented by two opportunities for attendees to take part in small group workshops exploring topics such as: peacemaking through art, peacemaking with children, finding inner peace, songs of protest & songs of peace, non-violent resistance and more.

Our keynote speaker, Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian and conflict mediator from Ireland. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community. His published work incorporates poetry (Readings from the Book of Exile; Sorry for your Troubles), prose (In The Shelter) and theology.

** PLEASE NOTE ** We are only able to accommodate gluten-free and vegetarian food restrictions. If your allergies are more extensive, requiring you to bring your own meal, enter the promotional code LUNCH15 before selecting your ticket type (click the button in the top-right corner of the pop-up box which contains the ticket options).

SCHEDULE

September 27, Friday Evening

6:00-6:45pm Registration, Wine and Cheese Reception7:00-8:00pm Keynote—Peace Hurts: The practice of We and Together

2:30-3:30pm Keynote—The Gospel of Encounter: Paying attention to the power of human engagement3:30-3:45pm Sending

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS

SESSION A OPTIONS (10:30-11:45am)

Everything Will Live Where the River Flows: Peacemaking with Children—Jasmin O’Brian (**Workshop Cancelled**)Jasmin O'Brian has a heart for children and her passion for the care and nurture of the spiritual lives of children is married beautifully with a Waldorf-based approach to play-centred engagement with imagination, gratitude and curiosity for God's creation. Come and learn about how this approach can help shape the formation of children in your context.

Painting the Timbers White—Tara Saracuse In 2015, internationally renowned sculptor David Best erected a temple in Londonderry, Northern Ireland—the location of 1972's “Bloody Sunday” and considered the starting point of the Northern Ireland Conflict. Best invited both the Catholic and Protestant communities to join in grief and worship in the same space. And when they were done, they burned it. This presentation will focus on the work of artist and temple-builder David Best. We’ll learn about how atheists, agnostics, spiritualists, and folks of all manner of organized religion have found solace and sacredness—together—in the unique spaces that Best has built. We’ll examine our own church buildings and explore the potential gifts of a multifaith worship space. And lastly, you’ll be challenged to look outside the walls of a traditional church building and explore how we might “paint the timbers white” in a new context.

The Wide Plains of My Peace—Christopher PageEtty Hillesum was only twenty-nine years old when she died in Auschwitz death camp. Yet, the witness of her diaries and letters, demonstrate that in the midst of turmoil and terror, Etty experienced deep and profound peace. How did this young woman come to such a place of peace within? What might we learn from her that could help us experience a similar inner peace?

Borders and Belonging in the Book of Ruth—Pádraig Ó Tuama (**Workshop Full**)This session will explore lessons for politics, borders, disputes and disagreements today. Taking the Hebrew book of Ruth, it will delve into the narrative exploring borders, kindness, individual human narratives and questions about “host” and “newcomer”. This workshop particularly builds on the “Brexit and the Book of Ruth” project that Pádraig directed while leading the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organisation.”

SESSION B OPTIONS (1:00 - 2:15pm)

Art and Empathy: Cultivating Connection—Cornelia van Voorst (**Workshop Full**) How might a simple artistic practice be a work of peace in our every day lives? Believing that compassion and connection are the foundations of peace, in this workshop Cornelia van Voorst will introduce us to the recent science about the value of visual art in our personal, communal and political lives. We will be introduced to simple and practical artistic techniques that aid our spiritual practice, refresh our souls and help cultivate a sense of compassion, joy and connection towards our world, ourselves and others. All supplies provided.

Dismantling Racism—Patrick Sibley (**Workshop Full**)Dismantling Racism is a program designed by the Anglican Church of Canada to name and deal with racism, both historic and systemic. Through teaching, learning and discussing we attempt to break down walls and address the policies that have led to racism and racist behaviour both in the church and in society at large.

Do You Hear the People Sing—Bishop Logan McMenamie Music has always been a powerful motivator. From folk music to national anthems. In this workshop we will look at the music that has changed the course of history and faith. From reformation to revolution, songs that have called the best out in humanity. This workshop will be an opportunity to remember those songs that have shaped us and our world. We will also sing together and have fun. Beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?

People building Peace: Stories from frontline filmmaking - Brad LeitchFilmmaker, Brad Leitch uses film to tell five short stories around five documentary projects he has directed and produced about the themes of conflict, reconciliation and peace.

PRE-CONFERENCE RETREAT

Bethlehem Centre is co-hosting a pre-conference retreat with Pádraig Ó Tuama and our bishop, Logan McMenamie. The theme for the retreat is "Poetry & Prayer". Register here. Space is limited.